Waking up this morning at Kibbutz Manera we were greeted with a gorgeous view of mountains and houses. We had a delicious breakfast – I love the tahini, fresh veggies and most importantly, I have finally mastered instant coffee! We climbed on the bus, for the first of about 6 hours on the bus, and all promptly fell asleep.
Waking up for the second time today, we had arrived at the site of the Yom Kippur war. This was particularly amazing to see, we were so close to the Syrian border. My dad was in Israel during the Yom Kippur war and delivered food to the soldiers, so seeing where it took place made it feel much more real.
We got back on the bus (and fell asleep again… who knew Birthright was so exhausting!?) and headed to a hike. We all were ready for it to be freezing and then had to quickly peel off layers! We saw a very cool waterfall and learned about the importance of water conservation in Israel. Also, we saw the saffron flower!
The next stop, after more bus time of course, was at a Kibbutz that Gal, an Israeli traveling with us, lives at. We got to see the kids house, learn about the basic structure of a self-sustaining kibbutz and talk with residents.
Our final stop of the night was Jerusalem, where we will be staying for the next three days. A fun end to the day – group singing competitions on the bus and seeing Jerusalem for the first time!
Thanks,
Emilie